Chi65
Jan 25, 2008, 20:23
Once I am here, I would like to tell you something about a morning with surprises, that left me a bit puzzled:
I came from Korea via speedboat to Fukuoka/Hakata and decided to stay in the Dazaifu youth hostel for two days, where I felt very warmly welcomed. Since someone has left some gifts in form of korean ginseng, but no one seemed to like it there, I was offered to take it, because I reacted positively, when I saw it (I do like ginseng very much indeed). Additionally I got a local gift, that the host usually makes for selling, a wooden bird.
She must have liked me very much, also I had lots of fine talks with the present Japanese there. I must have had something in return, as usual, but forgot, what it was.
When leaving the friendly place for the station, I was picked up by a local middle aged man with a very homely decorated car. He seemed to be alright, and since he asked me, if I am on my way to the station(which was obvious anyhow, also that I came from the youth hostel, he offered to take me to the next better station, where he was heading to anyhow (usually you have to change once, when going to Hakata/Fukuoka, so that was the change-station then). I was very glad with my heavy bag and enjoyed the ride with a brief nice conversation in english.
He even guided me to the entrance, and once I was on the platform, I was suddenly confronted with an excited japanese woman, who almost pressed me to take all her small changes from her purse. Not that I looked poor or so, but she told me, she was on a visit here, coming from the US, and she dearly wanted to make a present. Since all she had at that point, was the coins in her purse, she insisted in passing them on. I was kind of embarrassed, also because everybody was staring at us.
I told her in my best and most friendly way, that I do have enough money for my stay, but it was absolutely hopeless, she definitely did not let me go with this, whyever. She just HAD to pass on a gift, she said. I had no idea, with what I have earned such an attention and kept on resisting to take it, but no chance. She explained, that I will need the change, be it for Taxis or whatsoever (it was my 5th visit in Japan, by the way), and it turned out that the only chance to get out of this situation was to take it, she simply would not give up, no chance at all, and I was a bit suffering under that surrounding attention, not that I can hide anyhow.
By now everybody knew, where we both were coming from, were going to etc., hehe.
She was joyously happy when I finally took it and she left me alone from then on, but she was constantly smiling happily.
But OK, it turned out to be quite an amount of money, and my purse was comletely swollen thereafter. The small change was indeed helpfull during the ride, I must confess.
I am telling you, because I want to know, how you would have reacted, and if anyone has an idea, what the other Japanese might have thought in that situation.
I must confess, I often received little presents during rides, be it from seat neighbours after a nice talk, which was always started from them (I must look very approachable) etc., therefore I always had some postcards with my work and adress with me, which obviously pleased them and also made me happy.
And few times I became the target of travelling schoolclasses, who tried to interview me via camera, mostly good fun, although I am camera shy.
In China, I also often got presents, and it is considered to be unpolite, not to take them. It is already dangerous to say, that you like this and that in someone's home, even if you just mean to appreaciate it, not want to have it. It is best to say this about very big and heavy things, because then they understand, that you can't possibly carry them, hehe.
Anyhow, I was very unsure, if I reacted unpolite, by rejecting the money first, but I had no chance against her anyhow, and the surrounding ones had their theatre-play of the day, I suppose.
Any comments?
:-)
I came from Korea via speedboat to Fukuoka/Hakata and decided to stay in the Dazaifu youth hostel for two days, where I felt very warmly welcomed. Since someone has left some gifts in form of korean ginseng, but no one seemed to like it there, I was offered to take it, because I reacted positively, when I saw it (I do like ginseng very much indeed). Additionally I got a local gift, that the host usually makes for selling, a wooden bird.
She must have liked me very much, also I had lots of fine talks with the present Japanese there. I must have had something in return, as usual, but forgot, what it was.
When leaving the friendly place for the station, I was picked up by a local middle aged man with a very homely decorated car. He seemed to be alright, and since he asked me, if I am on my way to the station(which was obvious anyhow, also that I came from the youth hostel, he offered to take me to the next better station, where he was heading to anyhow (usually you have to change once, when going to Hakata/Fukuoka, so that was the change-station then). I was very glad with my heavy bag and enjoyed the ride with a brief nice conversation in english.
He even guided me to the entrance, and once I was on the platform, I was suddenly confronted with an excited japanese woman, who almost pressed me to take all her small changes from her purse. Not that I looked poor or so, but she told me, she was on a visit here, coming from the US, and she dearly wanted to make a present. Since all she had at that point, was the coins in her purse, she insisted in passing them on. I was kind of embarrassed, also because everybody was staring at us.
I told her in my best and most friendly way, that I do have enough money for my stay, but it was absolutely hopeless, she definitely did not let me go with this, whyever. She just HAD to pass on a gift, she said. I had no idea, with what I have earned such an attention and kept on resisting to take it, but no chance. She explained, that I will need the change, be it for Taxis or whatsoever (it was my 5th visit in Japan, by the way), and it turned out that the only chance to get out of this situation was to take it, she simply would not give up, no chance at all, and I was a bit suffering under that surrounding attention, not that I can hide anyhow.
By now everybody knew, where we both were coming from, were going to etc., hehe.
She was joyously happy when I finally took it and she left me alone from then on, but she was constantly smiling happily.
But OK, it turned out to be quite an amount of money, and my purse was comletely swollen thereafter. The small change was indeed helpfull during the ride, I must confess.
I am telling you, because I want to know, how you would have reacted, and if anyone has an idea, what the other Japanese might have thought in that situation.
I must confess, I often received little presents during rides, be it from seat neighbours after a nice talk, which was always started from them (I must look very approachable) etc., therefore I always had some postcards with my work and adress with me, which obviously pleased them and also made me happy.
And few times I became the target of travelling schoolclasses, who tried to interview me via camera, mostly good fun, although I am camera shy.
In China, I also often got presents, and it is considered to be unpolite, not to take them. It is already dangerous to say, that you like this and that in someone's home, even if you just mean to appreaciate it, not want to have it. It is best to say this about very big and heavy things, because then they understand, that you can't possibly carry them, hehe.
Anyhow, I was very unsure, if I reacted unpolite, by rejecting the money first, but I had no chance against her anyhow, and the surrounding ones had their theatre-play of the day, I suppose.
Any comments?
:-)